Rude dining customers exist, and they deserve to be shamed. However, some restaurants are likewise at fault for causing inconvenience to their patrons. And in specific cases such as this one, the owner can make things worse.
A post on the Mildly Infuriating subreddit recently gained traction because of its sheer absurdity. It’s a photo of a menu from a fine dining establishment that imposes outrageous rules that require a few double-takes to comprehend.
The owner’s smug response to a disappointed customer also made the rounds, which only became a PR disaster. Scroll down for the entire story.
Some restaurants can cause a great deal of inconvenience to their diners
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
This fine dining establishment did so by imposing a laundry list of outrageous rules
Image source: RHEmarketing
A disappointed customer left a one-star review, urging its owner to give an unprofessional response
Image source: GARBAGE_D0G
Image source: BobbyDukeArts
Unusual rules have been a norm among fine dining restaurants, and you’ve likely broken a lot of them
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
The restaurant in question isn’t the only fine dining establishment to impose rules that are out of the ordinary. Clinking glassware, for one, is frowned upon because of the high likelihood of breakage.
As etiquette coach Myka Meier explained to Food & Wine, “In very formal dining, the less noise we make, the better.”
You must also be mindful of where you place your lips every time you take a sip from your drink. Meier says it should only be on one spot to avoid smudging the entire glass rim.
Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick, founder of The Etiquette School of New York, says that calling a waitstaff member over isn’t the way to go if you need assistance. Instead, you must get their attention through “subtle eye contact.”
In an interview with Mashed, Napier-Fitzpatrick says you can only call a server over if someone around is choking on their food and you’re apprehensive about performing the Heimlich maneuver.
Bread etiquette also exists. Fine dining experts like Meier and Napier-Fitzpatrick recommend breaking off a piece and buttering it instead of taking the entire slice and biting into it. This practice avoids spilling crumbs.
There is a proper way to respond to negative reviews
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
Uncommon restaurant rules, especially when poorly implemented, will cause inconvenience among customers. Some may leave a bad review because of it.
The owner in the story showed the wrong way of doing it, and it only put the restaurant in the firing line of more criticism.
A recent survey shows that most people will still choose to dine in a restaurant despite a negative review or two. According to Tripadvisor, owners should not “sweat the small stuff,” especially since diners care more about food quality than service.
Instead, owners should acknowledge the mistake and apologize, then show gratitude with a simple “thank you.” Not only is this an excellent way to show accountability, but it also gives them an impression of professionalism, which other diners may also notice and take note of.
Most importantly, take the high road. Bad reviews are part of being in the restaurant industry, just like an athlete has off nights. Instead of lashing out like this owner did, Tripadvisor urges focusing on adding context to the negative review and making it about hospitality.
Ultimately, the owner should have kept their cool, provided an explanation, and apologized. Their actions only exacerbated the situation, which may have tarnished the restaurant’s reputation.
What do you readers think? How should the restaurant move forward? Should they make changes to their policies?
The reactions were unanimous, criticizing the restaurant’s absurd rules and its owner’s behavior
